House Speaker Mike Johnson Announces Foreign Aid Plan For Ukraine & Israel

On Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced the House will take up separate bills to provide aid for Israel and Ukraine this week, acknowledging demands from conservatives to keep the issues separate as threats of ousting him loom.

The announcement marks a crucial moment for Johnson as he is under pressure from his party over handling foreign aid to U.S. allies. He predicted the vote on the separate bills would occur Friday evening.

“There are precipitating events around the globe that we’re all watching very carefully,” Johnson told reporters. “And we know that the world is watching us to see how we react.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) immediately criticized the foreign aid plan.

“I am firmly against the plan as it stands right now,” Greene told reporters, though she hasn’t decided whether to force a vote on the motion to vacate.

Johnson dismissed the pushback, telling CNN, “I don’t spend my time worrying about motions to vacate. We’re having to govern here, and we’re going to do our job.”

In a post on X, the speaker also said the bills would support allies in the Indo-Pacific and include additional measures to “counter our adversaries and strengthen our national security.”

Johnson said there was still a possibility that the bills could be packaged together.

“We’re discussing whether they would be merged together in one package that’s sent to the Senate or if it goes over as individual measures,” Johnson said. “My personal preference is to do it individually, but we’ll let the body decide.”

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Arizona) expressed concern about merging the bills.

“Israel funding should not be held hostage by Ukraine funding. The American people deserve to know where their senators stand on each funding component,” Biggs said on social media.

Back in November, the House passed a bill to provide $14.3 billion to aid Israel, but Democrats were angry that the bill did not include aid to Ukraine. The Senate passed its bill in February, allotting $95.3 billion in foreign assistance to Ukraine, Israel and other allies.

Article by Ava Lombardi